The Queen Victoria blast furnace disaster remembered 50 years after the tragedy

The Queen Victoria blast furnace disaster remembered 50 years after the tragedy

A special memorial event was held at British Steel's Scunthorpe works to pay tribute for the 11 lives lost

Refractory Insulation: The Quiet Defender of Furnace Longevity

When it comes to furnace linings, most heat treaters focus on the hot-face materials, the heavy-duty refractories taking the brunt of molten metal, corrosive slags, and extreme heat. And just behind that armor lies a quiet defender: the refractory insulation layer. This layer is often the last line of defense between a functioning furnace and a costly, catastrophic failure. In this Technical Tuesday installment, Roger M. Smith, director of techn…